Fire-alarm box



II. zAkRzEvI/SKI AND K. suLEK.

FIRE ALARM BOX.

APPLICATION FILED ocT, 22A 192|.'

Patted Sept. 19, 1.922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

F'IGI. I.

i, Fla.

Flag.

ieillllll I5 FIG. 8 $3 R. ZKRZEWSK AMD. K. SULEK.

FIRE ALARM BOX.

APPLICATION min ocr. 22. 1921.

lg, Datentsd Sept 19, M22.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FIG. 4.,

Fa." Fm?.

Patented Sept, i9, 11922,

fi *i in a @time tirata say! FRE-ALARM BOX.

Application filed October 22, 1921. Serial No. 509,491;

To all @ii/0m t may concern.'

Be it known that we, (l) RUDOLPH ZAKnznwsiii and (2) Kiizraiinz SULnK, (1) a citizen of the United States of America and (2) a citizen of Poland, residingA at Thorpe, in the county of McDowell and State oil/Vest Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Alarm Boxes, of which the following is a speciiication.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in lire alarm boxes particularly of that type embodying means only releasable `by an authorized person for catoliiiig and holding the arin of a person turning in an alarm so that if such person turns in a i'a'lse'alarm, he will be taken into custody and be given proper legal punishment.

The primary object of the invention is to generally simplify and improve devicesof this kind.

Another object ofthe invention is to provide an alarm box including a receptacle into which the hand of a person must be inserted for turning in an alarm and wherein the hand-hold is provided with a closure, the opening of which automatically causes sounding of an alarin at the proper piaces such as police precincts, houses and the like.

Still another object ofthe invention is to provide within the iire alarm bonr a switch mechanism adapted to render the alarm operative upon turninginovement and to simultaneously release a spring pressed arm engaging member which is normally urged to arm-engaging position across the handhold of the alarm boX, and means being provided to automatically engage the arriengaging member to retain the same in armengaging position.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved mechanism adapted to be key-actuated by an authorized person to first release the retaining means for the arm-engaging member and to then retract the arm-engaging member to inoperative position.

With the above general objects in view and others that-will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood and the invention consists in the novel form, combination and arrangementpof parts hereinafter more fully described in connection with the accompanying dra-wings, in which like characters of reference indicate lcorrespondingiparts throughout the several views.

vopen position, the closure disk 1 ln the drawings,

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of an alarm box constructed in accordance with the present invention, h Figure 2 is a view of the device shown in Figure l with one of the side walls removed, and parts within the casing in side elevation, i

Figure 3 is a rhorizontal sectional view taken substantially upon line Ill-HI of Figure 2, l y I Figure L1 is a upon line lvVlV of Figure 2 with the armengaging member in inoperative position,

'Figure 5 is a view similar to Figures: with the arm engaging member in operative position,

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view taken upon line Vif-VI of Figure 3, i

, TEigure 7 is a fragmentary sectional View taken upon line VII-#VII of Figure 2, and

Figure 8 is a side elevational view of the form of key for releasing and resetting the arm-engaging member. y A

`feferring more in ldetail to the several views, the present rinvention embodies a casing 5 preferably of rectangular form with a front wall thereof formed with a centralv hand-hold or opening G which is normally closed by a laterally swinging closure disk 'T hinged as at 8 to the front wall of the casing 5 interiorly of the latter so that the same may be swung downwardly as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1 to y being provided with any suitable form of operating knob or handle 9 extending outwardly through the opening 6 and the front wall of the casing 5 being provided with a slot comnninicating` with the opening 6 as at 10 into which the knob or handle 9 may move when the closure disk 7 is opened.

A vertical transverse partition 11 is fixed within the casing 5 adjacent to andparallel with the front wall of said casing so as to define a narrow compartment 12 in the lower portion of which is mounted a suitable normally open circuit closer 13, one cont-act of. which is lconnected by means of a wire 14 with a suitable source of electricity 15, the other side of which is connected by a wire 16 with a suitable alarm 17 which may be located at the `proper point such as a :lire

engine house and which has itsother side connected by a wire 18 with the other contact of the circuit closer 13. Alug 19 is vertical sectional view taken provided upon the inner tace of the closure disk 7. in such position as to engage the outer .flexible contact of the circuit closer l13 tor pressing'said flexible contact into engage ment with the stationary contact thereof so that the alai'm 17 will be caused to operate upon openingof theclosure disk 7. This alarm 17 is preterably'of an. audible kind such as an electricbell. a

A tube 20 is fixed horizontally within the casing 5 so as to extend fronirthe lreai Wall of said 'casing to a point slightly' spaced v y from the partition. 11 and with the boreof said tube alined and concentric with the,

15l hand-hold 6 and suitably mounted upon thel inner .'aceof the rear-wall lof the casing 5 centrally within the tube 2O is a suitable rotary electric snap lswitch 21 oi any usual I or preferred `type involving` a lhandleV 22 opposite side of the opening G.

adapted to be turned clockwisef- The switch 21 may control an alarml circuit including wires 23 and 24, a source of electricity 25 and an alarm 26 preferably in theform of `a visibley indicator or incandescent lamp,r lwhich lamp will show that the person turning in the alarm has inserted his a-rm into the casing a suiiicient distance to' have been caught by the arinengaging member as will presently appear. l

The rotatable handle 22 of the switch21 has an arm 27viixed thereto and the arm 27 has one end of a link 28 pivoted to the outer end thereof, which link 28 extends upwardly through an'openin'g` 29 V'provided in the tube 20 adjacent the rear wall of the casing 6 andlias its upper end pivoted as at 30 with an arm 31 suitably iixed upon a horizontal longitudinal shaft 32 vwhich is suitably rotatably mounted in the casing 5 and which `extends from the rear wall ,otz the casing;r lto, the partition 11. rllie shaft 32 has another arm33 iixedlthereon adjacent the partition 11 inwardly ,of the latter and this yarm 33 depends and has its Vlower end pivotally connected to one end oiL a link 34' which has its other end pivoted to the lower end of a resilient (,-atch 35 at 36. The resilient catch 35 is preferably mounted upon the innerri'ace oi' the partit-ion l1 and includes a shouldered portion 37 behind rwhich is adapted to engage the upper end of a pivoted arm-engaging member 33 which is preferably ofcurved form as shownand` .attached to the inner vfaceof the partition 11 belowl the opening 6 by a pivot pin 39. Any suitable means such as aleail spring 40 may be provided for normally urging` the .armengaging member 38 across the opening;

6` toward a iixed arm engaging member 411 suitablv attachedto the'partition 11 at the rigidinember 42 Vis pivoted as ati43 on the 4,partition 11 .above the openingwith its teeth directed downwardly so as to engage a lateral Vtooth 44 provided upon the` upper end of the arinengaging` member 38 whereby swinging ol the arm-engaging member 38 backto itsreleased position will be prevented untilthe retaining member 42 is raised to disengage its teeth `from the tooth 44. A leaf spring 45 maybe provided for holding the retainingmember 42 with its .teeth engaging' the tooth 44;

A rod 46 is mounted 'for vertical sliding movement near the stationary arm-engaging member 41 andy has a hooked upper end ven gaging a similarly 'formed end upon the retaining member 42 as at 47 lso that upon downward movement of the rod' 4.6, the re- 'taining` member 42 is causedV toraise against fiov the action' of :the/.springA 45 so to dis-v engagel from the tooth 44. v,The liront wall ofthe casing 5 and the partitionll are provided withalined keyholes 48 adapted to permit'the insertion-of a key 49, the form o't which is clearly shown in Figure 8. As

shown, Lthis key` involves the 'usual stem and `handle with Aa bib 50 at ,the inner end l' reduced for a portion of its length 'troni `the of the stem of relatively great length and w outer end inwardly so as to provide 'stepped shoulders 51" and 52. i

v The slidable rod 46-jis 'provided with a end adapted to be engaged by the `sliould.er--\f` 51 of the key after the rod 46 has been de#` pressedcso that said key may slide the rod `5e upwardly and thereby cause thearni4engaging member 38 to swing to its open posi tion of Figure 4 where itis engaged behind the A'shoulder 37 and thus retained set or i-iioperative. a pin and slotconnecti'on 58 with the pai'- tition 11 and it may also be caused to tilt as it slides by means of a. curved backing llateral lugor extension 53' disposedr directly iin The rod56 may. beguided by i y spring or strip 59-carried by the Avpartition 56 as' shown, the tilting movement of the bar 56 ybeing` necessary in order to keep vthe lug 57 engaged with lthe shoulder 51 of the In operation, a person desiring to turn thev dotted line position vor Figurejl until land engaging the adjacent edge 'of saidv rod i lkey when the *lattery is causing upward sliding movement of said rod 56. a

in an; alarm will `grasp the handle or knob9 and* swing the disk'closure 7 downwardly to the lug' 19 causes closingot vthefcircuit of thecalarin 17 bythe actuation ofthe circuit closer 13. The person will then insert his arm into the tube 2O until the handle 22 of the switch 2l can be grasped and said handle 22 is then turned clockwise so as to cause closing of the circuit of the second alarm 26 and to simultaneously release the catch from the arm-engaging member 3S through the medium of the arms 27, 3l and 33, the links 34 and 28 and the shaft 32 hereinbefore described. The spring will immediately cause the arm-engaging member 3S to be swung from the position of Figure 4 to the position of Figure 5 with the tooth 44 engaged with one of the teeth of the retaining member 42 and with the arm of the person effectively held in the tube 2O between the members 38 and 41. Upon arrival of an authorized person carrying the proper key 49, the arm ot the person may be duly released by causing the rod 46 to lower' and sumultaneously disengage the retaining member from the tooth 44 so that the persons arm is no longer positively held, further turning movement of said key causing upward movement of the rod 56 and swinging of the arm-engaging member 38 again to the position of Figure 4 behind the shoulder 37 ot' the catch 35.

From the foregoing description, it is believed that the construction and operation of the present invention will be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art.

Minor changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

lVhat is claimed as new is:

l. In an alarm box of the class described, a casing having front and lrear vertical walls, the front wall of the casing being provided with a hand-hold, a rotary switch for an alarm circuit mounted upon the in- Yner face of the rear wall of the casing in line with said hand-hold, a pivoted arm-engaging member normally urged to a position to engage and hold the arm of a person inserted within the casing through said hand-hold, means operatively connected to said switch ttor holding the arm-engaging member in inoperative position, said last named means being operable upon turning of the switch to release said arm-engaging member, means to automatically engage the arm-engaging member and to retain the latter in engagement with the persons arm upon release of said arm-engaging member, said last named means including a pivoted toothed bar and key-operated means for releasing said toothed bar from the arm-engaging member, and key-operated means for swinging the arm-engaging member to inoperative position upon release of the same, said last named means including a member operable by the same key for releasing the toothed bar.

2. ln an alarm box of the class described, a casing having front and rear vertical walls, the front wall 'of the casing being provided with a hand-hold, a. rotary switch for an alarm circuit mounted upon the inner tace of the rear wall of' the casing in line with said. hand-hold, a pivoted arm-engaging member normally urged to a position to engage and hold the arm of a person inserted within the casing through said hand-hold, means operatively connected to said casing for holding the arm-engaging member in inoperative position, said last named means being operable upon turning of the switch to release said arm-engaging member, means to automatically engage the arm-engaging member and to retain the latter in engagement with the persons arm upon release of said arm-engaging member, said last named means including a pivoted toothed bar and key-operated means for releasing said toothed bar from the arm-engaging meme ber, and key-operated means for swinging the arm-engaging member to inoperative position upon release of the same, said last named means including a member operable by the same key for releasing the toothed bar and disposed to be actuated automatically subsequently to the release of the toothed bar upon continued turning of said key.

1n testimony whereof we affix our signatures.

RUDOLPH ZAKRZEVVSKL KAZIMIEZ SULEK. 

